Chapter 22: Vale Labyrinth

A Labyrinth is not a dead space, it's alive. It's a creature that keeps absorbing magic from the world, expanding and growing bigger . And when it grows to the 50th floor it will show its entrance to the world.

That's how this Vale city's labyrinth came to be 3 days ago. So this labyrinth is at least 50 floors in upwards direction. Upwards because people have dug around it and under it but found nothing so it's believed that the dungeon grows upwards even if we can't see it growing.

The labyrinth lures people into it by the rare drops the demons leave as they die. The demons are also created by the labyrinth. So the more people die inside the labyrinth the more people it eats and the more the labyrinth creature grows.

To counter it this whole world's culture is built around it. Even the nobles, the cities, the food, the currency everything is connected in some way to the labyrinth.

And now I too am willingly going into this creature's body.

[ Kaga Michio

<Male*Age 17>

Villager: Level 3

Hero: Level 1

Explorer: Level 1

Equipment: Iron Armor, Leather shoes, Iron Sword, Leather gloves, Leather cap]

The first thing I did was to change my job order so that I can maximize my bonus points. There is no one here to check my first job anyway.

Most of the jobs in the original story have 3 different progression levels. Like Villager, Thief etc which are basic jobs can be considered an easy to level up jobs, Explorer which is an uncommon job can be considered medium in leveling up. Hero is a very rare job so it can be considered hard to level up.

The proof is my Villager and Thief leveled up twice but Hero is still level 1.

Bonus points can only be gained by my first job, that's why I kept Villager which is the easiest and hence the fastest to level up as my first. So right now I have 101 BP.

[Explorer

Effect: Increase Endurance (Small)

Skill: Item Box Operation, Party Organization, Dungeon Walk]

From Explorer, I activate the second skill Party Organization. It allows me to form a party with a maximum of 5 other people. If you are in a party you can gain exp points as a party. You can also always feel the position of your party members.

The skill requires a chant but instead I just add 3 BP to the chant omission Bonus skill and activate the Party organization skill. I feel it asking me for a target and I look at Roxanne selecting her. Then the feeling is gone and now even if I close my eyes I can feel where Roxanne is approximately.

"Master, did I get added to your party?"Roxanne asks, baffled.

"Yes, I told you one of my powers is to use spells without a chant", I explained to her patiently and removed the 3 points from Chant Omission.

Next I activate 'Party entries unlock' a new Bonus skill from the three unlock skills inside the character reset page. The other 2 unlock skills are Level Limit unlock and Damage Limit unlock.

As I add 1 BP to this skill the character reset page refreshes. And a new Bonus spell is added as well as an old skill has an advanced option now.

The new Bonus spell added is Partylization, basically by using it on an item I can share that item's effect on the whole team. Right now though we don't particularly need it.

I add another 2 points to the skill Job settings and it changes to Party Job settings.

I look at Roxanne and voila.

[Party Job Setting

Roxanne

Acquired Job: Beast Warrior Level 6, Villager Level 8, Farmer Level 1, Warrior Level 1, Swordsman Level 1, Explorer Level 1

Set Job: Beast Warrior Level 6]

[Beast Warrior

Effect: Increase Agility (Medium), Increase Endurance (Small), Increase Dexterity (Small)

Skill: Beast Attack]

Party Job setting, lets me check every Job a party member has and change his/her active job without his/her consent.

Sadly I can't add multiple jobs to the party members but at least I can change their active one. Looking at the list even after knowing it would be the case, I still can't help but smile as Roxanne doesn't have a Thief job. Meaning in her 16 years of life she has never stolen anything.

And look at her Master, the first thing I did after coming to this world was steal.

But still she is way stronger than me right now, even her Villager is higher leveled than mine.

Roxanne looks at me smiling at her in puzzlement and I just shake my head at her saying that it was nothing.

For now I will keep Beast Warrior as her set job which is also her Wolf tribe race's exclusive job. I used the skill as I just wanted to confirm what her jobs were. I hoped that there was an option for changing Character Reset to Party Character Reset, but there was none.

I take the points back from the Party Job setting and Party entries unlock and the character reset page refreshes again going back to how it was.

Next I add 1 point into the Bonus Weapons and take a new weapon out.

[Gram

-Attack Power x5]

This time I didn't use Durandal or Fragarach, as it wasn't necessary and I needed bonus points for many different things.

The new sword was also a 2 handed sword which looked way more ordinary than Durandal and Fragarach but it still looked cool with its golden hilt compared to the normal swords.

Roxanne quietly looked at the new sword which appeared in my hand.

"Have a look", I gave Roxanne the sword and looked at my reset screen again.

Next I added 31 points to Crystallization Upgrade (5) ( 32x Increase). Then divided 62 points between Required Experience (5) (1/20x) and Experience Gain (5) ( 20x). Both of the effects stack.

Here the Bonus skill Experience Gain is applied to all the party members but Required Experience is applied only to me.

So Roxanne will level up at 20x speed and I will level up at 400x speed.

Every party member gets equal exp from defeating an enemy or better explanation will be that every Job gets an equal amount of exp. I imagine monsters as a pool of exp and when we kill them our jobs take a limited amount of exp based on the monsters level.

So there is always a surplus exp even when 6 people's jobs take the exp. In my case I have 3 active jobs so it's like the party has 2 extra members. My guess is that exp is mostly magic power stored inside a demon and most of the magic power here is digested back by the labyrinth.

The remaining bonus points I added to strength stat.

"This is a very strong sword" Roxanne said approvingly and gave it back to me.

[Character Settings

BP:0

Status: Strength +2

Bonus Equipment: Gram

Bonus Spells:

Bonus Skills: Required Experience x1/20, Experience Gain x20, Crystallization Upgrade x32, Third Class, Appraisal, Character Reset]

Bonus point used:

Weapon (1): 1

Necessary exp reduction (x1/20): 31

Exp gain up (x20): 31

Crystallization Upgrade (x32): 31

Third job: 3

Char reset: 1

Appraisal: 1

Strength: 2

I keep my extra Iron sword inside the backpack and check everything once more to make sure I am not forgetting anything.

The demons don't come in the first room you enter within any floor, so we can prepare here properly without fearing any demon's ambush.

"Roxanne, can you detect demons?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes Master, my nose is especially sensitive even for the wolf tribe members. I pride myself on detecting demons" Roxanne says confidently.

"Amazing! You lead the way to the demons then and try to avoid other people" I told her as there were three paths to choose between the left, right and center.

"Yes master, I can distinguish the demons from others by smell so it won't be a problem" Roxanne takes the lead and steps into the left tunnel.

I too followed her. As we walked, with our every step there was a dim light produced which faded out soon. Just after a minute of walking I see a demon.

[Needle Wood Level 1]

Its a humanoid demon with a green head and brown body. It's not very big, and quite thin. It looks like a small shriveled up tree.

Amazing, Roxanne. Good looks, Good in bed and Good in labyrinth. Really the best girl.

"Excellent job, Roxanne" I praised her while looking at this new demon.

"Here it comes" Roxanne started heading towards the Needle Wood.

"Wait, let me"

I stopped her and charged straight ahead towards the demon.

Before it could respond I swung my sword Gram on its left shoulder, cutting straight through it. Its brown body falls to the ground.

"In a s-single blow, Master is amazing"

"Well this is just the start"